


Daughter of the Sun

by AmaterasuOfTheSun, TeaTreeKly



Series: Souls Entwined [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Birth, F/M, Hurt, Implied Sexual Content, Letters, Loneliness, Mild Language, Morning Sickness, Platonic Relationships, Pregnancy, Water tribe, Zutara Week 2018, day two: letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-31
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 13:30:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15510927
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmaterasuOfTheSun/pseuds/AmaterasuOfTheSun, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeaTreeKly/pseuds/TeaTreeKly
Summary: “I know, my little penguin-seal,” She said, her tears falling quicker than ever. “I miss him too.”It was something she hadn’t been willing to admit to herself for a long time now. Admitting it would mean everything would change. It would mean something different for their relationship, and it would mean that the night they shared after Sokka and Suki’s wedding would mean something more. Katara knew that admitting that she missed him was a long shot from saying she loved him, but deep down, she knew it was a start, and perhaps this was what scared her most of all.---Katara and Zuko spend a year apart, while Katara tries to untangle her messy life.Written for Zutara Week 2018, Day 2, Letters





	Daughter of the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is a sequel to dancing with fire, sleeping with rain. If you haven't read that, you should check it out first! Also, warning for some language later on.

True love was something that Katara had always believed in. As a small child, her mother would tuck her into bed, and whisper stories of how two halves of the same soul would always find each other. How the two people destined to be with one another could never stay apart forever, no matter if witches cursed them, nor if storms blew their way. 

This idea was something she hung on to as she grew older, and whenever she was feeling especially hopeless, she imagined her other half. What were t _ hey _ doing, how were  _ they  _ feeling, what problems did  _ they  _ have to deal with? It took her mind off of her own circumstances, and passed many restless nights. 

Sokka, always the man of fact, had teased her mercilessly when they were younger, so her faith in the destiny of lovers was never information that Katara openly volunteered. 

Of course, it wasn’t something that came up often in casual conversation. Katara was of the mind set, though, that perhaps if that was the sort of thing that came up in casual conversation more often, it would be a whole lot easier.

“So…” She paused, awkwardly. Outside, lemur-birds sang, and the general chatter of Kyoshi island swept through the open window of the room.

“So.” Sokka crossed his arms. His expression was unreadable. “Have you told Dad?”

Katara looked away, chewing on her thumb nail. They sat in silence, Katara staring out the window at nothing, and Suki watching her hands intently. 

Katara had been a mess after Aang and Zuko left, so, in a tearful, blubbering rush, she had collected all her things, and walked down to the nearby town. She’d come straight to Kyoshi by airship, which had taken on a day and a half. There hadn’t been any other choice, really. With no clue where Aang had went, and no idea how to face Zuko, going to see her brother seemed like the most realistic option. Still, she wasn’t sure how he’d react to the news.

“I just don’t—Can you tell me what happened again? I’m not mad at you Katara, I just don’t understand—”

“You don’t have to repeat yourself if you don’t want to, Honey. I’m sure you’re tired. I can show you your room if you’d like.” Suki’s eyes glittered with understanding and something else that looked a little bit like concern, with just the tiniest hint of excitement. The corner of her mouth lifted up the tiniest bit and she nodded once at Katara, which returned. Katara’s entire being flooded with immense relief and gratitude. At least Suki understood what she was going through, and what she needed, but the relief was temporary as she looked over at Sokka’s expectant face, and knew that she had to tell him.

“Thank you, Suki. I don’t mind though.” She looked back at Sokka. “I… got kind of drunk at your wedding, and I made a mistake, and now I’m having a…” Katara’s voice trailed off. She didn’t want to say it. Saying the ‘B’ word  out loud would make it so much more real. “Well, I’m pregnant. And Aang found out, and now he’s gone, and I don’t even feel sad about it! My fiance just left me and I feel relieved! How awful is that? I never meant to hurt Aang, but I don’t… I don’t think I love him anymore. I’m not even sure I ever did. Not like he loved me, anyways.” Emotion welled in her chest, and Katara couldn’t hold it back anymore. Throwing herself into Suki’s arms, she began to sob. “I think I  just might be the most horrible person ever,” She cried.

“I am sure that’s not true.” Suki ran her fingers through Katara’s hair, sharing  a concerned look with Sokka, whose face was a myriad of emotions. 

Sokka cleared his throat. “Katara, who’s the father?" He asked in a seemingly calm manner. Suki shot him a look. He may have seemed unaffected by the current situation at hand, but She could tell he was barely holding it together, and him flipping out would not exactly be ideal.

“Zuko.” Saying his name only made her sob louder. 

Any ounce of calm Sokka was trying to retain flew out the window when the Firelord’s name was uttered. “Wait,  _ what?  _ Zuko?  _ Fire Lord _ Zuko?” He shouted.

“Sokka!” Suki snapped, glancing at the sobbing girl in her arms before glaring at her insensitive husband. 

“How dare he take advantage of my little sister! I trusted him.” Sokka ranted, pacing in circles around the room. “I’m going to have more than  _ words  _ with him next time I—”

“Sokka, stop it. He didn’t take advantage of anyone. This is my fault, and mine alone.” Katara snapped, wiping her face with the back her arm. Crying wouldn’t do her any good. She had saved the  _ world  _ for Spirits’ sake. She could handle this obstacle as well.

Sokka glowered. “Fine. I won’t touch him.  _ For now. _ ” Both ladies in the room rolled their eyes, sharing an exasperated look. 

“So, Katara, what are you going to do? You’re welcome to stay with us for as long as you need, of course. But do you have any plans for once…?”

Katara shook her head miserably. “Not really. I have to tell Dad at some point, and then I guess I’ll stay with the Water Tribe. I have no idea what I’m going to do with a—well, after I… give birth.” Katara looked out the window. She didn’t really want to think about her future right now. The serene scene outside the window did nothing to comfort her rolling stomach, though.

Suki scrunched up her brow. “We have a steady life here on Kyoshi, and there is more than enough space. You’re still young, and if you aren’t ready to be a parent, Sokka and I would be happy to raise this baby as our own.  ”

Katara and her brother were equally surprised. 

“You would?”

“ _ We would? _ ”

Suki gave her husband a meaningful look. “Yes, we would.” She touched her own stomach gently. “We’re already having one, anyways. The more the merrier, right? Plus, I’ll have all the Kyoshi warriors to help me. I’ve been told that Ty Lee is very good with children.”

Katara’s eyes widened. “Wait,  _ you’re _ pregnant?” Katara gasped. “Guys, that’s amazing! Congratulations! I’m so happy for you.” Katara hugged the soon-to-be parents tightly. 

Sokka puffed out his chest proudly. Suki smiled. “Thank you.”

“How long have you known?”

“Only a couple of weeks.” Sokka said, scratching the back of his head. ”We were waiting until we knew sure before we told anyone.”  He looked at Suki, love struck, and she smiled back at him bashfully. 

Katara watched the exchange with happiness, but her smile faded when she recognized an all too familiar feeling wrap it’s cold, spindly fingers around her heart.

_ Go away _ ! She scolded it. She was happy for them, she truly was, but a small part of her, the part of her that believed in soulmates, ached with longing. Where was her one true love? Where was her happy ending?

After several moments of them staring into each other’s eyes, Katara cleared her throat, smirking just a little. The couple tore their gazes from each other, startled, and looked back at Katara. 

She realized she hadn’t answered Suki’s proposition before her big announcement. “About your offer,” she started, chewing her lip a little, “Thank you. But, I don’t know, I think I’m gonna need time to think about… everything.” 

The woman nodded with understanding. “ Of course. Why don’t I show you to your room. Feel free to take a nap, Sweetie. After everything that’s happened the last few days, I’m sure that you’re exhausted.”

Katara smiled at her. “A nap sounds great right now. Thanks, Suki.” 

The two stood up and went to her room. It wasn’t far, but the exhaustion swimming through Katara’s bones made it seem like a million miles away. 

Sokka and Suki’s house was beautiful, and the perfect size for the two of them. Like the other houses on Kyoshi, it was made of beautiful wooden plants, and raised above the ground. A theme of gold and blue and green and white ran throughout the inside of the house, a beautiful mix of both Southern Water Tribe and Kyoshi island cultures. 

Katara collapsed onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. The dim guest room was small, cozy, and exactly what she needed right now. As tired as she was, Katara should have been able to fall right asleep, but being alone with her thoughts made it difficult to relax. 

Although she was nineteen, and by no means a young girl anymore, she still felt too young to be having a child. Children needed attention and care and love, and Katara was willing to give all of those things--in a few years. Right now, she still had so much left to do and so many people left to help.. 

It wasn’t that she couldn’t continue helping people once she had a baby, of course not, it would just be different. She wasn’t sure that she wanted different yet. She might feel differently if it wasn’t just going to be her, alone, but alas, that wasn’t the reality for her.

Now there was another offer on the table though. Leaving her child for Sokka and Suki to raise would allow her to continue on as she had before. It wouldn’t be like she was completely abandoning her child either, she’d still be around, she’d still get to visit — but there was another matter that rose from leaving the baby here on Kyoshi Island. 

This baby’s father wasn’t just some random village boy she had a tryst with. It was the  _ Fire Lord _ , which meant that as of now, the child growing in her womb was heir to the Fire Nation. The throne would rightfully  belong to this child. Katara couldn’t possibly take that away from them. The Fire Nation was a part of the baby’s heritage now as much as the Southern Water Tribe was. Who was she to deny her child that? 

But if that was the life her child led, that meant she’d have to give them up. She wouldn’t use this child to force Zuko into some honor bound marriage with her. They’d have to grow up, knowing their mother had given them up, just like Zuko and Azula had. And look how well that had ended up. 

Of course, Katara knew that Zuko would be a much better father than his own had been, but he was still the Fire Lord, with lots of other responsibilities. Would it be fair for her to throw a child into that life without also taking that path?

If the baby grew up here, on Kyoshi, they would live a carefree life, and be able to pursue what they enjoyed. She would get to visit them, and be a part of their life. They would never know what they were missing out on, or who their real father was.

Thoughts like these swirled through Katara’s head until she did, finally, fall asleep.

  
  


Katara decided not to tell her dad who the baby’s father was. He was respectful of her decision, and was happy to have her back with him. While there where many wary glances, and whispers when she first arrived, the gossip soon died away, and Katara fell into a comfortable rhythm around the Southern Water tribe. 

Plenty of young people had immigrated from the North after the war had ended, so there was no shortage of acquaintances to keep her company, and while they weren’t quite the close friend group she used to have, their company helped chase away her lonely thoughts. There was also plenty of work to be done, and Katara quickly busied herself around town. 

Always the activist, within a month of her arrival, there was a new hospital open, and Pakku’s new Waterbender school now had a class on healing, that was, much to his disdain, mandatory, regardless of gender. Katara taught it, along with a basic training in waterbending for the younger students. 

“I wonder how any of us got on before Katara came back!” One of her new friends joked in the new communal dining hall one evening. The others laughed in agreement, and there was a warmth in Katara’s chest that she hadn’t felt in ages. Hakoda would later confide in a letter to Sokka that that was the first time he had seen his daughter smile since she returned home.

Katara’s job, which she began about a month after her arrival, brought her a lot of joy. Her stomach was beginning to show, and while the look of it bothered her in the mornings as she dressed, she didn’t let it get in the way of her spectacular bending, nor her teaching skills. 

During Firelord Ozai’s reign of terror, a good amount of children in her tribe had been born as water benders. They had been hidden up until his demise, but more and more children had begun to make their way out of the woodwork, and the school was now teaming with rosy cheeked children.  

Katara liked teaching them. She was still early enough in her pregnancy, that as long as she didn’t think about Aang or Zuko, her life could retain a sense of normalcy. Her morning sickness wasn’t all that bad, and she could still fit into all of her clothes. Pretending couldn’t go on forever though.

It was when she was teaching that it finally happened. She was going over some basic bending stances with her first year class, when, with a gasp, she froze.

“Master Katara?” Asked Anana, one of the older first year students, nervously. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” She said breathlessly. “I think so, I just…” She touched her stomach softly. There it was again. “Oh.”

“Should I fetch Master Pakku?” The students were all watching her with wide eyes now. 

“No, no, this is—this is normal. I think. Come—come here. The,” She glanced away uncomfortably, trying to form the words. “The baby is moving. I bet you can feel it too.” 

Katara didn’t know how to feel. The movement inside her was foreign and strange, and somehow… endearing. 

Unbuttoning her jacket, she let her students press their hands against her slightly protruding stomach. A flurry of movement from inside her left the children laughing in delight.

“I felt it!”

“I felt it too!”

Katara grinned at the little ones around her. They were so sweet,  and any one could see she had a knack with them. Sokka would say it was her natural mothering talent, but she loved children, she really did. Perhaps in another life, she would have been perfectly content with this— being a teacher and a mother— but she longed for bigger things. 

It wasn’t that she hated this baby inside her either. It was her own fault she was pregnant, and though she resented her situation, part of her was glad. If that night with Zuko hadn’t happened, she might have gone on as she was, married Aang, become a docile housewife. She would have grown to resent him, surely. At least now she could live for herself. Well, mostly, anyways.

“Katara, there is another letter for you. It’s the same as the others.” Hakoda stood in the doorway. 

“Class, why don’t you take the day off,” She said. The children squealed in excitement, thanked her, and then raced out into the snow. The water bender turned to her father.

“Katara what’s wrong?”

She let out a shaky breath. There were tears welling in her eyes. “Give me your hand.”

It took a little longer than it had before, but a minute later, Hakoda let out a gasp.

“Was--Was that…?”

Katara nodded. “Yeah, Dad.”

“Oh, Katara, I--” He didn’t know how to react. She could see that he was happy, but he was holding back because he knew she wasn’t.

“It’s okay, Dad. Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. This is exciting, You can be excited,” She told him.

His shoulders relaxed, and he pulled her into a hug. “I know this is hard for you, but I promise you won’t be alone. I’m here for you. Everyone is.”

Katara knew that was true. While they had been wary of her at first, they quickly grew to love her. 

When it had become apparent Katara wasn’t leaving anytime soon, the people of the water tribe had taken it upon themselves to build her a more permanent residence. Katara was eternally grateful; she loved her little house. There was a warm fire in the hearth, and furs on the wall, keeping it cozy as could be. She had put up some pictures of her and her friends around, as well, to give it a more personal feel. 

There was also an ornate chest at the end of her bed, which contained her engagement necklace from Aang, the red robe she’d accidently stolen from Zuko, and two months worth of unopened letters. 

Her father, the only other person to know about them, seemed mystified by this.

“Who ever this person is, it seems like they really want to talk to you. Are you sure you won’t look at this one?” He asked her one night.

Katara’s shoulders slumped. “No. I just...I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Her voice barely carried across the room, and Hakoda’s eyes softened. 

“Don’t be. I didn’t mean to push you. You’ll read them when you’re ready. In the meantime, I believe Gran Gran and a few of your students where looking for you. I saw them over near the hospital.”

Getting to her feet, Katara pulled her parka over her shoulders. “Thanks, Dad.”

He smiled at her. “Of course, Katara. I’ll see you at dinner tonight.”

“See you.”

  
  
  


When she heard his voice, she thought she was imagining it. 

“I’m sorry to bother you, but would you happen to know where Katara lives?” 

Peeking out her window, Katara caught sight of Aang almost immediately, his brightly colored clothes standing out like a beacon against the whites and blues around him. 

Ducking back down, Katara looked around wildly. She hadn’t seen him in three months now, and part of her had thought that maybe she wouldn’t see him ever again.

That wasn’t what she wanted, of course not, but the unspoken assumption left her utterly unprepared for this encounter.

There was a knock at her door. Katara froze. Her heart sank down to her boots. Slowly, she began to walk backwards, away from the door. 

“Katara?” The watertribe girl felt her whole body relax as she heard her father’s voice on the other side of the door. “Aang is here to see you. Do you want to see him, or should I send him away?”

“I can’t— I’m not ready to see him yet. Please tell him to go.” She couldn’t believe that he was here. She didn’t know what to say with him.  _ “I’m sorry for sleeping with our close friend even though we were engaged, oh, and, I don’t love you like that anymore. Maybe I never actually did. Oops!”   _ didn’t really cut it. 

Back sliding down the wall, she sat beneath the window, with her knees pulled up as close to her chest as she could get them. She could hear her father talking to her ex-fiance outside.

“Hakoda, I have to talk to Katara.” Aang’s voice was tense and pleading.

“I’m sorry Aang, but she’s not seeing anyone right now. Maybe it would be best if you come back another time.” 

“I have to talk to her!”

“Maybe you should write her a letter, then.”

“I have! She won’t answer them! Please, I have to tell her,” His voice broke. “I have to tell her I’m sorry.”

Katara was taken aback. What on earth could Aang have to apologize? 

“I’m sorry, Son, but Katara doesn’t want to see anyone. I’ll tell her you stopped by.”

There was sniffling outside, and Katara felt a thickness gathering in the back of her throat. Her eyes grew watery. 

“Alright. Tell her…” Aang sighed. “Tell her I’m sorry, and that I forgive her. Please. Thank you, Hakoda.”

Katara didn’t hear the rest of the conversation, as it was then that she began to sob, silent and earnest. She was still sitting there on the floor when her father came and found her. Wrapping her in a big hug, he sat with his daughter on the ground until the last of her tears had subsided. 

  
  


Three more months passed by, a flurry of teaching and helping out where she could. After the upsetting appearance of Aang, Katara was determined to throw herself into something that would keep her utterly focused, leaving no time to wallow in melancholy thoughts. Even though his impromptu visit left her more forlorn than ever, Katara still hadn’t opened any of the letters in her trunk. She couldn’t.

_ Are all of those from Aang? _  She wondered tapping her fingers on the table nervously. She was eating dinner alone tonight, and while the sea prunes were quite delicious, they weren’t quite enough to keep her attention away from the chest sitting at of her bed.

She was the tiniest bit skeptical that one person could really resolve to sending a letter a day, but she wouldn’t put it past him. Aang could do anything he put his mind to, she knew first hand. Still, even this spark of curiosity wasn’t enough to get her to open them. Katara truly believed that nothing at this point could.

Part of her feared that she was making a mistake. What is Aang was the one? What if he was her soulmate? If this had been only six months earlier, she could have asked him, and he would have answered her with certainty. She would have believed him. 

Now she wasn’t so sure. Memories of the night she had shared with Zuko swam through her head. There was a tightness in her chest, and she stirred the food around in her bowl aimlessly. What if it was him? Could he be her other half? She had feelings for him, and perhaps she always had, but how could she know? She had feeling for Aang as well, no matter how complicated they might be. 

Katara pushed her bowl away, her appetite dissolving, and decided to head to bed. Perhaps her head would be more clear in the morning.

The next morning, Katara woke to the whole town  in a strangely festive mood. The sun outside was shining brightly, chasing away the chill. She loved sunny weather as much as the next person, but this felt something else. Several women and men trotted by carrying large tubs of fish and penguin-seal and children were laughing and hanging large Water Tribe banners in front of houses.

Katara saw her father talking to several men standing near the water. She headed that way, pulling her parka tighter over her noticeable stomach. A small frown settled on her face as she drew near and began to pick up bits of their conversation.

“Dad, what’s going on?” Her tentative inquiry cut through the cool air, and the conversation ceased.

Hakoda turned to her, beaming. He was holding an opened letter in his hands. “I have great news! Sokka and Suki are coming to visit!”

Katara perked up.  Finally some good news. She had a feeling that seeing her brother and sister-in-law was just what she needed to lighten up.“Oh, that’s great! I can’t wait to see them.”

Hakoda laughed. “And that’s not all,” Excitement laced his voice. He could hardly stand still.“They’re bringing their twins with them!” 

Katara gasped. “ _ Twins? _ They had twins! Oh spirits, that’s wonderful!” 

Hakoda laughed again, and she and her father embraced.

Turning to the men nearby, who were watching the exchange with amusement and pride, Hakoda beamed. Sokka had been an integral part of the tribe since he was a child. He was like a son to everyone, so this was a joyous occasion for all. 

“I’m finally a grandfather.” Hakoda said proudly, puffing out his chest. The other men laughed, patting him on the back in congradulations. Katara shook her head, but she was smiling all the same. 

“I’ll go help make sure their rooms are ready.” Katara said, humming as she walked away. She practically floated across the snow. She was just brimming with emotion, and her heart was fuller than it had been in a while.

The sun had risen to the highest point on it’s journey across the sky when a lookout stationed at one of the towers announced an airship flying heading their way. A crowd gathered near the edge of town, Katara and Hakoda at front, Gran-Gran and Grand Paku standing right behind them. As the airship touched down on the ice, an uproarious cheer began.

Sokka was first off the airship, leaden with as many bags as he could hold. A huge smile split his face as he observed the large group in front of him. 

“Wow, I should really come home more often!” He exclaimed, setting down some of the supplies. They were hardly out of his arms before Katara had wrapped her arms around him. Hakoda joined them but a second later, the two of them crushing Sokka in between them.

“Do I get a hug, too?” An amused voice said from behind the trio. The hug broke apart and Katara looked up to see Suki smiling at them, with a twinkle in her eye—and two, tiny bundles in her arms.

A hush fell over the crowd for a moment. Gran Gran was the first to speak. 

“Suki, dear! Come down here and let us get a good look at you.”

Suki laughed, and descended the ramp. She looked good, Katara noted a little enviously. What she wouldn’t give to get rid of her huge belly right now. The way she was waddling around made her feel like a Walrus-Seal, and it certainly helped her look the part. 

Sokka put an arm around Suki’s shoulder’s as the people of the water tribe gathered around her. 

“What are their names?” Asked little Umiko. At age six, she was the most promising water bender in Katara’s first year class. 

Squatting down, Suki knelt in the snow so the curious children could get a good look at the babies. “The one in the green blanket is named Kidao and the one in the blue blanket is Piandao.” The babies had brown skin and hair, and bright blue eyes. Under opposite eyes, each had a little black birthmark the size of a fingerprint. They were perfect mirror images of each other.

“They’re so small,” said Tullik indignantly. He was one of the rowdier children in the group, and not afraid to share his opinions. “I was never that small!”

Suki laughed. “I’m sure you were, once.” Standing up again, she looked at Hakoda. “Would you like to hold one?” 

He nodded eagerly, and Kidao was soon placed into his grandfather's arms. The baby yawned, then squinted around suspiciously. 

“Hello, little one. I’m your Grandfather,” Hakoda whispered to him. 

Kidao sneezed, and everyone chuckled.

“Tui and La, they are so precious,” Katara cooed, admiring her nephews. Suki silently held out Piandao to her, and Katara took him, beaming. The baby boy squinted at her with bright, blue eyes.

“They are very handsome, just like me,” Sokka said, puffing up proudly.

“I don’t know, I think they might get their good looks from Suki’s side of the family, “ Katara teased.

He stuck his tongue out at her, and the baby in Katara’s arms giggled, then let out a tiny, adorable sneeze. “It’s too cold out here for them. Maybe we should head inside,” Sokka declared, taking his son from her arms. 

Everyone chattered in a agreement, and the whole group began walking back into town. 

“Katara, how have you been?” Asked Suki, walking beside her. “You look almost as big as I did a few weeks ago! It’s pretty exhausting, isn't it? It’s worth it though. When I saw their little faces I just…” She sighed contentedly. “Our offer still stands, by the way. I think we’ll probably stay with the water tribe for a little while now, so you still have some time to decide. The Kyoshi warriors back home can handle themselves without me for a while, I’m sure.”

“The babies are really beautiful, Suki. I was so surprised when I found out you had had twins, though!” Katara said, crossing her arms over her belly.

“ _ You  _ were surprised? Imagine my surprise when I delivered the first one and six hours later my contractions started up again!”

They both laughed at this. 

“Do you know when your due date is?” Suki continued. 

Katara shook her head. “It’s soon, I think. I can’t imagine getting much bigger than this. I don’t know how I’ll be able to stand it!”

“I completely understand. It was so frustrating not to be able to help out the Kyoshi warriors like I’m used to. The last few months were the worst, I think. Morning sickness I can handle, but I hated not being able to move around. Sokka’s least favorite part must have been my cravings,thought.”

“Oh yeah. I think I’m driving everyone crazy!” Katara agreed. “I can’t help myself. I just really want some fire flakes. They don’t really sell them outside of the Fire Nation though, so it seems I’m out of luck.” 

Suki nodded sympathetically. “All I wanted to eat was Elephant-Koi steak. It’s so expensive and almost impossible to find. Poor Sokka.” She laughed again, and Katara smiled. She knew her brother would do anything for his wife, even if it meant searching for Elephant-Koi steak all over the Earth Kingdom. Her smiled faded as she realized how much she wished had someone like that.

“Well, there’s your house up on the right. Looks like Sokka beat us to it.”

He and Grand Pakku were bickering, and Hakoda was talking besottedly to his grandsons. “Oh Suki, there you are! Good, Tell this old man that we aren’t changing Kidao’s name to ‘Pakku Junior’.” Sokka yelled.

“Show some respect to your grandfather!” Pakku demanded. 

Suki rolled her eyes. “I think that we should probably all go have a nap. It was a long trip, and I’m tired. I’m sure the babies are too.” She said, taking them back from Hakoda. “We’ll see you all at dinner time, alright?”

“Of course. See you then. Don’t hesitate to ask if you need anything.” 

As they were walking away, Hakoda turned to Katara, “I almost forgot. Another letter came for you. Who ever this is, they must be quite thick. How many months does it take to get the message?”

Taking the letter with shaking hands, Katara thanked him, before heading back to her own home. Seeing Sokka and Suki together had brought forth all the feelings she had been trying to repress for the last six months. 

Katara flopped down on her bed with a huff, and her stomach rumbled in reply. As usually, she was hungry for something that wasn’t sold anywhere on the continent. 

“I blame you for this,” she muttered to her stomach. “You’re taste in food must take after your father’s, because I  _ hate  _ fire flakes.” 

Turning, she glared at the letter sitting beside her, and felt a small kick in her stomach. “I’m not going to read it,” she replied testily. 

There were two more kicks.

“Stop it. I’m not going to open it!” The kicks stopped, and Katara suddenly felt alone again. “That’s not fair! You don’t get to be angry about this.” This was absurd. She was arguing with no one. “Come back.” Sighing, Katara rolled over to her side, and glared at the letter.

If she was being honest with herself, after six months the curiosity was eating her alive. 

“Just peeking won’t hurt...right? I’ll just, you know, see who’s sending all of these.”

There was no reply, but she still pushed herself into a sitting position and with shaking fingers, untied the brown ribbon around the paper. She just intended to just give herself some kind of closure, maybe, but once she started reading she couldn’t stop. 

Soon she was sitting on the floor, surrounded by paper and ribbon, tears and snot running down her face.

 

_ “Dear Katara, how have you been?”  _

 

_ “Dear Katara, the fire lilies bloomed today, and I thought of you.” _

 

_ “Dear Katara, the turtle ducks made a nest at the palace.”  _

 

_ “Have you had any cravings?” _

 

_ “Congratulations on your nephews!” _

 

_ “Is there anything I can send you?” _

 

_ “I heard the aura lights are beautiful this time of year.” _

 

_ “Uncle came back for a visit. His tea shop is doing well.” _

 

_ “I sometimes wonder if you are even getting these letters.” _

 

_ “I wonder what our child will look like. I hope it gets your eyes.” _

 

_ “It rained for the first time in weeks.” _

 

_ “Toph wrote me about you.” _

_ “ _ _ I hope I’m not pestering you with these letters. I’ll stop if you request it.” _

 

_ “Sometimes I wonder if I should stop sending these.” _

 

_ “Today, I had some seaweed noodles and they reminded me of you.” _

 

_ “Aang came by to visit today. We made up.” _

 

_ "Please tell me if there is anything I can give you to help. I have heard that pregnancy is quite uncomfortable, and I know how grumpy you get.” _

 

_ “Uncle says pregnancies last nine months. I hope your delivery goes alright. I wish I could be there with you.” _

 

_ “Dear Katara, I know you may not even read these, but I miss you.” _

  
  


Katara put down the most recent letter, her shoulders shaking. She wiped her tears but it did her no good as more just kept streaming down her face. The baby suddenly kicked, and, startled, she placed a hand on her stomach. Her surprise quickly returned to sorrow as she gazed at the letters again. 

“I know, my little penguin-seal,” She said, her tears falling quicker than ever. “I miss him too.” 

It was something she hadn’t been willing to admit to herself for a long time now. Admitting it would mean everything would change. It would mean something different for their relationship, and it would mean that the night they shared after Sokka and Suki’s wedding would mean something  _ more _ . Katara knew that admitting that she missed him was a long shot from saying she loved him, but deep down, she knew it was a start, and perhaps this was what scared her most of all.

A knock on her door jolted her straight out of her reverie. “Katara?” A lilting voice, called. It was Miki, Umiko’s older sister. She and Katara hung out on the occasion, and while Katara wouldn’t go so far as to call Miki her best friend, they got along quite well. “Dinner’s been in session for a while now, and everyone is wondering where you are. Are you alright?”

“Oh, just-just tell them I’ll be there in a few minutes. I just have to...uh—I have to just clean up. Thank you, Miki!” Katara called back, trying to keep her voice upbeat. That faded quickly as she observed the piles of parchment around her. She really had made quite the mess. “Well… I can clean it up later,” she muttered to herself. 

Most of the letters around her were from Zuko, but a few that she had opened had been from Toph, asking where she was. Now that she knew which ones were from Zuko, she could tell which ones weren't. There was a considerable number of letters on a darker, less fancy parchment. They were from Aang, she was pretty sure. She hadn’t opened them. Baby steps, right? Her baby gave another kick, as if to give confirmation.

Since she was leaving the letters where they were for now, all that was left was cleaning up herself. She put on some fancier clothes, and after she brushed her hair and freshened up her face, nobody could’ve guessed she had been crying at all. 

Dinner was a joyous affair, everyone giving  Sokka and Suki congratulations as they ate, or cooing over the babies. The new parents were happy to at first, but as dinner drew to a close, Katara could see her brother’s increasingly strained smile and Suki’s impatient sighs. It was understandable, seeing as how almost everyone in the tribe came up to talk to them and offer unwanted advice. It wasn’t as though it was a terribly small tribe either. Katara could help but wonder if she’d be in a similar position soon.

“Alright, I think we’ll be heading back now, the twins need to sleep anyway,” Suki all but snapped at the last pair of old ladies, as they cooed over the babies, and explained to her how you just had to hang a rabbit-elk’s skin over the door on new moons or the babies would surely get sick.

“It worked on all my children,” she chimed it as she and her friend bussled away. 

“Impatient, are we?” Katara laughed as she took Kidao and Piandao from their mother’s arms. Suki smiled at her gratefully. Sokka stayed behind to talk to Hakoda about “something important,” and the two women started their trek back to Suki’s cabin. 

“Listen, I loved showing off my babies, but if I had to hear about the best way to change a diaper one more time, I was going to go full Kyoshi warrior on them,” Suki complained.

Katara burst out laughing. On Koh’s faces, she had  _ missed _ this. 

“Besides,” Suki smirked, and bumped Katara’s shoulder with her elbow, “You’ll know how it feels soon enough to be swarmed by old ladies cooing over  _ your _  baby.”

Katara’s smiled suddenly looked strained and the warmth of her cheerful exterior dimmed. 

Suki, good a friend as ever, noticed immediately. “Oh, Katara, I’m so sorry! I didn’t—”

“No, no, don’t apologize Suki. I need to get over it anyway, and accept that I’m going to be a mom soon.”

Suki smiled at her sadly. “I know I just asked earlier today, but you still haven’t made a decision?”

Katara shook her head and having reached their little house, Suki opened the door quietly and led Katara to a crib in the corner. During the walk, Kidao had fallen asleep and Piandao was beginning to drift. Suki  took the babies from her one by one, gently placing them down to rest. The two watched the little ones sleep with fond smiles on their faces. 

Eventually, Katara’s smile faded and her mind turned to more serious matters. In a voice barely louder than a whisper, she said, “I read his letters.”

Suki turned to her, brow furrowed. “What? Whose letters?” 

Katara sat on the bed, burrowing her face in her hands. A second later she felt Suki sit next to her, placing her arm around the younger girl’s shoulder.

“Zuko’s letters,” She said, after a few moments. “He’s...He’s been sending me letters every day since I left the Fire Nation—after Aang found out. I didn’t read a single. Not until today.” She pressed her hands to her eyes in an effort not to cry.

“And…? What did the letters say?” Suki asked tentatively, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Everything. Everything I missed. They talked about his day. He talked about me a lot. Asking how I saw, talking about things that made him think of me. Saying that he missed me,” Katara said, voice cracking. It was of no use trying to hold in the tears anymore. They fell as if a waterfall had been hiding behind her eyes the whole time. “O-or at least that’s what one of the letters said, anyway.

“But the thing is Suki,” she said, hiccuping a little, “Today, I-I realized, that I missed him  _ too _ .”

  
  


That night Katara tossed and turned restlessly, thoughts of  Zuko whirling through her mind. She hadn’t seen him in six months! How could she really know how she felt about him? And what about Aang? She had thought she had feelings for him too. She’d been so certain, but she’d been wrong. And would going to Zuko really be fair to him? She’d already hurt his so much—she was supposed to be his friend, and she hadn’t even been able to face him!

Her worry cemented painfully in her gut. Her insides ached. 

_ Maybe this is my punishment,  _ She thought dolefully.  _ I just make everyone miserable. I don’t know why I am even considering raising this child.  _  Katara pictured her own mother’s face in her mind.  _ I will never be as good as her. She always knew what to do. _

The pain in her stomach grew worse, and Katara suddenly realized it didn’t have anything to with the guilt she was feeling.

“Oh no.” 

The baby was coming. 

_I’m not ready for this!_ She glanced around her room, at all of the opened letters she had neglected to pick up. _Where is this baby going to sleep?_ Part of her knew it was inconsequential, but it was the only thing her mind could focus on. She hadn’t prepared _anything!_ In hindsight, avoiding the issue by pretending it didn’t exist was not, perhaps, the best plan of action. There was nothing she could do about it now, but somehow her mind kept getting stuck on all the little things she should have been doing to prepare. 

Inhaling, she staggered over to the basin in the corner and splashed cold water on her face.  _ Snap out of it! Now is now the time to panic! _ She took another deep breath. This baby was coming whether she was ready or no. She’d just have to figure out everything as it came.

Katara was not stranger to birth. In the Water Tribe women helped each other, and Katara had been helping out with medicine in the village since she was small. Still, experiencing it for herself was different. 

Grimacing, she her hands tightened on the rim of the water basin. She had to see how much time was between the contractions. Rooting around in her messy desk, she finally found what she was looking for. “A Minute Candle,” was what Sokka called it. He and the mechanist from the air temple had made it. As the wax melted, a nail would fall out every minute, and bang  against whatever was under the candle, alerting the user. She had a few, with different time increments, but she didn’t use them often. 

Lighting the flame with some spark stones, she paces around the room, trying to calm her breathing. 

_ In, out, In, out, In. Out. In. Out. In… Out… In…. Out… In— _

There was a clang.

“One minute. Okay. This is fine. That’s fine.” Katara muttered to herself. It was hard for her not to just stare at the candle but she knew that would just make it seem slower.

_ In, out. In, out. In, out.  _ Breathing wasn’t really cutting it for her any longer either. Sitting back down on her bed, she was able to lean down and pick up some of the letters from the floor. 

_ “Dear Katara, _

_ I hope you are well. It’s been four months since I last saw you, and  there is a strange sickness going around the fire nation right now.” _

Another piece of metal fell.

_ “It doesn’t seem to be effecting a large part of the populace, but  it is spreading through all the fire benders very quickly. It acts like a regular cold, but everytime you sneeze, fire comes out your nose. It would be quite hilarious, but the fires popping up across the fire nation are becoming quite irritating.  Our healers are at a loss of what to do, so we can only hope it will cure itself.” _

Clang.  _ That’s three now,  _ Katara thought to herself.

_ "That would all be fine and good, except that my advisors have decided I must be locked away  in a secret location, where I have no contact with anyone, for fear of contaminating me with this illness. It’s quite boring here, and personally, I think that I would be able to handle myself, even with the fire sneezing. I hope they don’t plan on acting this way every time a little cold makes its way around the palace or I’m afraid that I will never get anything done! _

_ In other new, the outlines for Republic City are going well. Now that Aang and I made up, we’ve been working together a great deal to figure out a deal that everyone can be happy with.” _

There’s another clang, Katara thought. The letter was doing a good job at distracting her from the situation at hand, but she still had to pay some attention.

_ “I’m all but convinced that you don’t read these letters anymore—Or if you ever even did—but if you still are, please know that, as always, my home is always open to you. If you need anything from me, do not hesitate to ask. I know I write it every day, but I assure you that my feelings have not changed. If you ever decided—” _

“Aah!” Katara’s hands flew down to her stomach, the letter slipping back down to the floor. She glanced over at the candle, just in time to see another piece of metal slip out of the wax. “Okay. Five minutes apart.” That meant the baby was on its way. She needed to find someone. The hospital was far enough away that she was nervous about heading there by herself. She supposed that Sokka and Suki’s residence was closer, but not by much. 

“Tui and La,” she gasped as she stepped out the door and into the snow. 

Out in the cold, Katara shivered. She had forgotten to grab her parka before she left, and she was in no mood to waddle back inside and go get it.

It was so quiet this time of night, and the moon was only a sliver in the sky. Katara focused on the air in front of her as she walked, where her breaths formed into mini clouds, to keep her mind off of her eerily silent surroundings. 

_ At least my water hasn’t broken yet, _ she thought with relief. It would be best if she was somewhere warm and inside when that happened. 

When she finally reached her brother’s house, she had had another contraction, and the tips of her hair, which had gotten wet when she was trying to wake herself up earlier, where frozen.

“Sokka. Sokka!” She whispered. After several loud knocks, the door finally swung open to reveal a disgruntled looking Sokka, his hair sticking up on one side as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. 

“Katara? Seriously? What is it? Couldn’t it have waited until morning?” He grumbled. Behind him a baby started to cry, Suki came up behind him, looking quite grumpy.

“You better have a good excuse for waking up the twins in the middle of the night,” she snapped.

“Look, I’m-I’m sorry, but I—” She groaned as another contraction hit her.

The couple in front of her immediately shared a concerned look, and ushered her inside.

“Are you okay?” Sokka asked her.

She nodded, and Suki’s eyes widened. “Katara, you’re in labor?” It wasn’t really a question; Suki’s eyes widened in understanding. “Oh, honey.”

Katara nodded, wringing her hands nervously. She’d been trying to stay calm, but she was just so tired. It was that and the subconscious realization that she was in good hands now, and that she wasn’t going to have to do this alone, that made her calm facade fall away. “Yes, I’m in labor and I didn’t know what to do and today has been  _ such _ a miserable day and I didn’t know what to do, I’m not ready for this, and the hospital was so far away, and I didn’t want to bother anyone, but I thought you’d know what to do, so I came here—” 

“Katara!” Suki gripped her shoulders tightly. “Calm down! You’re rambling. Come on, breath with me. In through your nose, out through your mouth...in through your nose, out through your mouth...yeah, there we go.” Suki spoke in a soothing, calm and controlled voice, and as Katara breathed as she had been instructed, she let her mind go blank. It was okay. She was going to be fine. 

Sokka on the other hand, was anything but calm.“Why did you walk all the way here in the cold, Katara? You could have done that waterbending skate thing that you do and gotten here in half the time! Or, couldn’t you have just knocked on Miki’s door? She’s training to be a nurse, and her family lives right next to you, and her mom has three children so she definitely would have helpe—”

“Sokka, I don’t know!” Katara snapped at him. “I was little busy trying not to panic!” He was right, those were both good ideas, but they were no use now. Another contraction came, and Katara ground her teeth. Sokka turned pale. 

“Oh goodness, it’s happening again,” he moaned. 

“Sokka, you aren’t allowed to freak out right now or I’m going to lose it!” Katara said, turning on her brother.

“Both of you, stop it!” Suki snapped. “Sokka, go find a healer or a nurse, and get Gran-Gran. Get your father too, he can watch the twins. Katara.” She looked the girl over. “Go put a pot of water on the fire. I’ll set up the bed.” 

Katara nodded. She could still walk and water bend, so in only a couple of moments, a full pot of water was bubbling over  the fire. 

Not long after the end of the war, Sokka had been musing with Katara about her bending. He’d asked why she wasn’t able to make water boil, as she was easily able to make it freeze, to which she had confessed that she had never really thought about it, or tried. After a couple of hours of practice, she had figured it out, and the water from her satchel was boiling in the water in front of her. 

It took all of her concentration to keep it in that state, but she still used it to heat up water over a fire. The heat from the fire would keep it from cooling down, and it took significantly less time than waiting for the water to heat up naturally. It wasn’t a trick she used often, but in this instance, it proved quite useful.

“Alright, the bed’s done! You can keep walking around if you want, though. For me, it helped with the contractions.” Suki said, coming into the room. Her eyes landed on the pot. “Huh. Neat.”

Katara smiled, and went to get comfortable on the bed, a bit tired from the walk over, when the front door banged open. 

“Is Katara alright?” Someone shouted.

Standing outside the door was basically the entire village. Sokka, Hakoda, Miki, Gran gran, and Pakku were at the front of the crowd, panting and panicked. 

Suki pursed her lips. “Sokka, what is this?” She asked in a clipped tone. 

He laughed awkwardly. “You know, I may have brought a few more people than you asked for.”

She nodded slowly, her foot tapping against the floor. “Fine.” She said finally. “Hadoka, Pakku, take the twins somewhere else. They’ll get sick if they’re outside too long, so don’t even think about waiting right outside the door!”

“Is Katara going to be okay?” Her dad asked nervously.

“Dad, I’ll be fine.” She glanced over at Suki. “I’m in good hands.”

He let out a deep breath. “Alright. Have someone come get me as soon as I’m allowed back.”

“Of course.” She smiled. “Now go on and get out of here!”

He laughed, and picked up Kidao, who   stopped crying almost immediately. Pakku picked up Piandao, and said, “Good luck, Master Katara,” and then the four of them headed out the door. 

“Alright! If you’re a healer or a nurse, come in here!” About three women came forward and joined Miki in the house. “Okay. okay.” Suki looked out the door at the many other people outside in the snow. “The rest of you: Go. You’ll hear the news as soon as there is news to hear. Oh, except you Kanna, you can stay, of course.”

There was a lot of general grumbling, but people began heading back out into the night. 

Katara’s grandmother smiled, and took a seat near the bed. She didn’t say anything, but her presence alone was reassuring.

Suki nodded, and then closed the door, putting her hands on her hips. “Sokka, why don’t you go find where the twins are and help with that. We’ll call you as soon as the baby is born, alright?”

He nodded, and took a shaky breath. “Alright.” Squeezing Katara’s hand, he said, “Everything is going to be fine,” before turning and heading out as well. Katara wasn’t sure if the assurance was for him or for her, but it helped.

“Ooohhhh.” The contractions seemed to be getting closer together now, and they were definitely getting more painful. “Tui and La!” She huffed. “How long is this going to take?”

  
  


The answer was eleven hours, and Katara hated every second of them. She was hungry, sticky, and sore, and tired. 

“One more push Katara! Almost there!” Said Miki. She’d insisted on staying and helping, being a nurse in training and all. Katara had been embarrassed at first, but really, there was no time for that. “C’mon, there we go… Ah.” 

A sigh passed through the room, and for a second it was quiet. Then the women were bustling around again, muttering anxiously. One of them ran out of the house and into the cold, where the sun was beginning to rise. Katara struggled against the pillows. 

“What’s going on? Is it...done?” 

Suki nodded at her, and glanced over her shoulder. She looked worried, and Katara felt like bed beneath her was disappearing, Everything spun. “Where-Where is my baby? Suki?”

“Katara, just breathe, just—” She glanced over her shoulder again, somewhere Katara couldn’t see. The rest of the healers were huddled around the table. One of them was waterbending. 

Katara looked at Gran-Gran, who was looking in the direction of all the healers worriedly. “What’s going on? Is everything okay? Where is my baby?” The pitch of Katara’s voice climbed steadily higher, and she tried to sit up. Suki pushed her back into the bed.

“Katara, please, you just gave birth, you can’t—”

“ _ Tell me what’s going on! _ ” She shouted, her eyes pricking. She couldn’t  _ breathe _ .

Suddenly a small cry cut through the room, and both Katara and Suki froze. 

“Thank the spirits,” Miki whispered. No one moved for a second, then one of the other nurses, Kesuk, quickly swept the child up from the table, and wrapped her into waiting linen. She then walked over to Katara, who was watching her anxiously. 

“Would you like to hold your baby girl?” She asked, smiling. Her eyes were watery. Everyone in the room was a little teary eyed, their relief almost tangible. 

“I…” Katara took a deep breath. “I would.”

Kesuk placed the bundle in her arms, and took a step back. 

Katara looked at Suki for a second, and then at Gran-Gran. The older woman nodded. It was then that Katara looked down at her baby.

She’d never felt anything like it. Katara had always held a sort of motherly, protective role, but when she looked down into the golden eyes of the tiny creature in her arms, she knew she would control the tides if it meant protecting this little, innocent life. 

“You gave us quite a scare, little one,” Gran-Gran said, breaking the silence. 

“What are you going to call her?” Suki asked. Everyone was watching the mother and child with wide eyes. 

Katara looked back down at the baby. “I… Well, with everything that’s been going on, I forgot all about that.” Katara sat there, brow furrowed. Her mind came up blank.

“You know, Katara, I think I just might have something to help you.” Gran-Gran finally said, getting to her feet. Suki helped her over to the door, where a bag that Katara hadn’t noticed was leaning against the wall. “I brought it because I thought this might happen,” She explained, picking the bag up off of the floor. Out from it she pulled a large, dusty, leather bound book. She wiped some dust off of the cover and then, with Suki’s help, walked back to Katara’s bedside.

“What is it?” Katara asked, taking it from her. The baby in her other arm was squinting at her, it's golden eyes barely visible underneath her eyelids. She wasn’t crying anymore, but instead sucking contendely on the blanket around her.

“It’s a book of Water Tribe names. Every Southern Water Tribe name going back a hundred generations is written in here. It’s what I used to name your father, and what he used to name you kids.” She looked at Suki. “I would have offered it to you and Sokka as well, but he insisted that you already had names picked out.”

Suki grinned and nodded. “Maybe for the next one, yeah?”

Katara whipped up to look at her Sister-In-Law, who was looking sheepish. Her eyes darted down to her seemingly flat stomach. “Suki, are you…?”

“I think so,” she confided. “I haven’t told Sokka yet. I won’t until I’m sure, anyways.”

“C-Congradulations! I’m surprised how fast you, uh...” Katara gestured with her book hand.

Suki blushed. “Well, your brother is quite...er… enthusiastic in bed,” she admitted. 

Katara stared at her, disgusted. “I love you, Suki, but please never ever tell me anything like that ever again.”

Gran-Gran laughed. “Ah, young love. Reminds me of the good times me and Pakku have,” She sighed. “You know, for someone his age, he has a high energy. You wouldn’t expect it, you know, but he has quite a large—”

“ _ No!”  _ Shouted all the younger women in usion. Miki made a gagging face at Katara and whispered, “It’s going to be hard to get  _ that  _ image out of my head!”

“Well said,” Katara croaked. “Now,” She propped the book against one of her legs, carefully adjusting her baby in her other arm. “A name.” 

Half the ladies in the room scurried about cleaning things and calling people and the other half watched Katara eagerly as she searched for a name for her child. She flipped through the newer names first, but nothing really jumped out at her.

_ Qopuk. _

It had a nice sound, but it meant ‘ice crack’. Not exactly fitting.

_ Iluliaq. _

Also pretty sounding, but it meant iceberg. Katara frowned. Somehow she didn’t think an ice-themed name would be a good fit for her baby.

_ Ulva _ . 

It said this one meant wolf. Did they mean a Bat-Wolf? Or a Wolf-Hawk? And why would anyone name a child after such a vicious creatures?

Sighing, Katara started to skip to pages near the back of the book, where the names were much, much older. Some of them she had never even heard before. Her eyes flew over the different handwritings, her heart sinking. None of them spoke to her. None of them were  _ right _ .  

She spotted a short, faded name in the footnotes of the book, with a crudely drawn star next to it. It had no description. She squinted at it, trying to figure out what it said. “Os...Ohs..? Ah! Osha. Osha? Gran-Gran what does Osha mean?” She asked, looking up at her. 

Her grandmother blinked. “Well, I haven’t heard that name in a long time. Osha was the name of the first owner of this book. She was a priestess for the tribe long ago. Her name means ‘Daughter of the Sun’.”

Katara’s eyes lit up. “Really? That’s...That’s perfect!” She looked down at her daughter. “Osha,” she whispered.  

Suki smiled knowingly. She squeezed Katara’s shoulder. “It’s a gorgeous name,” she said, too softly for anyone else’s ears. “And I’m sure Zuko would love it as well.”

Before Katara could reply, the door banged open and everyone inside either screamed, jumped, or both. Immediately, Osha screwed up her face and began to wail. 

“Where is she?” Hakoda demanded. “The baby! Where is the baby? And Katara?” He stood at the entrance, looking panicked. 

Katara frowned at him, and then started scowling when she saw that Sokka and Pakku were right behind him, trying to shove their way in. 

“The three of you,  _ stop _ ! Now look what you’ve done, she’s crying,” she snapped at them, her voice hushed. Hakoda looked over at Katara, startled, and then his eyes drifted down at the baby in her arms.

He took a few steps forward, Sokka and Pakku right behind him, along with the nurse who had ran out before. They all stared at the baby with almost reverent awe. Tears welled up in his eyes. “The nurse came in...and she said--she told us that the baby wasn’t breathing...and we...we thought…” He trailed off as he stood next to Katara, peering down at Osha’s chubby, crying face. 

“They thought the worst,” Sokka said, but his voice trembled. “See, Dad! I told you everything was going to be alright!” Though Sokka was putting on a brave front, it was clear he too, was relieved that the baby was alive and well. 

Katara shook her head, but she was smiling all the same. “Would it make all of you feel better if you got to hold her?” 

Pakku nodded enthusiastically, Hakoda and Sokka right there with him. Hakoda was the first to hold her out of the three. He couldn’t stop staring at his granddaughter. 

“She’s lovely,” He whispered, grinning hugely when she wrapped her tiny hand around his index finger, her cries quieting again. “What’s her name?” 

“Osha,” she said, leaning back against her pillows. “Her name is Osha.

  
  


Sokka and Suki stayed at the tribe for three more weeks after Osha had been born. 

Hakoda couldn’t be any happier. 

“My family,” He always said whenever he saw Sokka, Suki, Katara and all babies together. “I feel like I’m in a dream.” 

Though the twins weren’t old enough to crawl around and bother their cousin, it didn’t stop them from staring wondrously at her when all three of them were on a mat together, their parent’s watchful gazes never leaving for more than a few moments. 

“Do you think they’ll get along when they’re older?” Sokka asked thoughtfully one night after all three of them had fallen asleep. Suki sat next to the cribs, humming an old Earth Kingdom lullaby. 

Katara smiled. “I think that they’ll get along splendidly.” 

On the day that they had to leave, the sun was shining. The weather didn’t reflect the feelings of the village, but it was nice that they had good weather for take off. Katara and Hakoda knew they would see them again, but both knew that they would still miss Sokka and Suki, as well as the twins. 

Sokka smiled and Wrapped Katara in his arms, then leaned down to kiss her forehead.  _ He’s gotten so tall,  _ she thought. Katara was so immensely proud of the man Sokka had become, and the family he had now. 

“Hey, we’ll see you again soon. Don’t cry.” Katara said, but she was teary eyed herself. 

“Awh, I’m going to miss you so much!” He wailed, then squeezed her tightly just once more before releasing her and patted Osha on the head, who was in Hakoda’s arms, before boarding the ship. 

Suki came up to her next, and before Katara could say anything, swept her up in a hug as well. “Whatever choice you make, Katara, we’ll support you.” she said fervently. “Don’t be afraid to come and visit us on Kyoshi some time, alright?”

“Alright,” Katara laughed tearfully, the two separating. “I will. But Suki, I have made my choice. I’ve decided to raise Osha. I really did appreciate your offer, but… I want to be there for my daughter.”

“Oh, Katara, I’m so glad,” Suki said, hugging her fiercely again. “To be honest with you, I’m a bit relieved. I don’t know how we would have raised four babies all at once.” She whispered sheepishly. “I don’t even know how I’ll be able to handle three!”

Suki let go and then went to go give Osha a kiss on the cheek before side hugging Hakoda. 

Katara watched her hurry onto the ship. It lifted in the air and Katara waved at it one last time, and before she knew it, they were gone. 

It took some time for Katara to adjust to not having Sokka and Suki there. Three months had been more than enough time for her to become used to them being around. She finally felt up to going back to work, though, so perhaps that would take her mind off of their absence. 

Pakku was insistent that stay home and take care of his great-grandchild, but she firmly reminded him that it was absolutely possible for her to do both. There were plenty of people who were more than happy to babysit for her, and no one cared if she brought Osha along with her to work anyways. The baby had charmed her way into the heart of every single person that she met.

Working again was not nearly the distraction it had been before though, and seeing Osha every day brought mental and emotional challenges Katara had not anticipated. Not to mention the letters  she continued to receive from Zuko every day. She read all of them now. He asked about her and the baby often, sometimes begging her to let him know that they were alright. Those letters broke her heart, the desperate tone of his writing, but as hard as she tried, the replies she wrote were never… right. They lay abandoned and unfinished in a drawer in her desk. She could never know how to tell him what she wanted too. Maybe it was because she herself did not know what she wanted yet.

Ever since her resolve had crumbled and she had read the letters, Katara found herself thinking more and more about where to raise Osha. She loved it here, everything between the teaching and the calm with which she and her daughter lived. All she wanted was what was best for the two of them. She just wished she could know what that was. 

Sometimes she would spend hours deep in thought, imagining how different her life would be if she had taken up Zuko’s offer all those months ago, and moved to the Palace with him. Would she have found her soulmate in him? Would she be happier? Would Osha be happier? Would the Fire Nation accept a Queen who didn’t bear the same blood as them? Would they accept a princess of a mixed race? 

It was during one of these times that Katara was startled out of her thoughts by a booming voice outside.

“Where is she?” Someone yelled.

“You can’t just—Katara isn’t seeing any  _ outsiders  _ right now!”

“Katara isn’t seeing outsiders right now my ass. Get out of my way! My feet are getting cold out here.” 

It had been many months, but Katara would always recognize  _ that  _  voice.

“Katara come out here and tell Idiot Mcstuffy Pants to get out my way before I  _ make _ him!”

Quickly placing Osha in her crib, Katara hurried to the door. Outside, a young man named Hey, Katara’s neighbor, was staring down at a short, muscular woman, in a green and grey parka, with fluffy earmuffs over her shiny, black hair.

“Toph!” Katara called. Both of them turned to look of her.

“Katara, you know this crazy woman?” Hey asked disbelievingly.

“I do. It’s alright, Hey. She can come in.” Katara said, glaring at the earthbender.

Toph stuck her tongue out at him, smugly. “See ya’ round!” She called, giving him a very unfriendly gesture over her shoulder. 

Once they were both inside the house, Toph threw her arms around Katara. 

“Oof! Gosh, Toph, good to see you too!” She huffed. 

“We’ve all been so worried about you, you big dummy! Why didn’t you answer anyone’s letters?”

It was rare to hear Toph so openly admit to being worried about someone, and it threw Katara for a loop. “Oh I just— I didn’t—I—”

Toph punched her shoulder. “Idiot. No one would tell me what was going on! And I’m pretty sure everyone knows something that I don’t. All Twinkle Toes would say was that something happened and he left you—I never woulda seen  _ that  _ coming— and Big Shot Fire Boy pretty much just wrote back a bunch of nonsense. Your brother wouldn’t even pretend to answer my question, and, of course, I never got a reply from you at all.” She poked Katara’s chest accusingly. “So what happened to make the fearless master waterbender Katara go into hiding? It wasn’t Aang breaking up with you, I’m sure. That was never going to work out, anyways--”

“Wait wait what? How did you know it wouldn’t have worked out?” Katara asked, a bit offended. 

“I mean, did you see yourself when you were with him? You weren’t even yourself anymore! ‘Oh, Aangy-poo, let me do that for you. Oh, Sweetums, I’d be happy to stay home and make food while you go out and fight evil. Oh, I love you so much, I’ve even forgotten how to be a strong badass woman for you,’” Toph mocked, finishing off the whole act by miming a bunch of mushy kisses. 

“Oh, brava. Maybe you should see if the Ember Island theater crew is hiring. You’d fit right in,” Katara said dryly. 

“Thanks,” she said, pleased with herself. Whether she missed the sarcasm or chose to ignore it was anybody's guess, though Katara suspected the latter. “Now, tell me what was so bad that you had to go into hiding for a whole—” 

Behind them, Osha babbled out a string of nonsense.

Katara watched Toph’s eyes widen comically.

“Oh.” She said stupidly. It was rare to see Toph at a loss for words like this. “And I suppose you aren’t just baby sitting, are you?’

“Nope.” Katara replied. “Her name is Osha. Do you want to meet her?” 

Toph nodded dumbly, and followed Katara like a zombie over to the cradle underneath the window. Osha giggled happily as her mother’s face appeared above her. 

“Hello there, Sunshine,” Katara greeted melodically, lifting the cooing baby out of her bed. She turned to face Toph, who still looked dumbfounded. “Toph, meet my baby. Osha, meet your Aunt Toph.”

She was maybe having a  _ little  _ too much fun with this, but she couldn’t help herself. She had kind of assumed someone had told Toph what was going on at some point. It wasn’t like she swore anyone to secrecy or anything, but it seemed that everyone was as tight lipped about the situation as she. 

“Uh… Hi,” Toph said, waving awkwardly in the direction the squirming baby in Katara’s arms. “She seems so familiar.” Toph muttered. 

“Well, I’d hope so. She’s  _ my _ daughter.” Katara laughed.

Toph squinted, tapping her fingers against the wall. “I mean, yes, she… feels like you, but also different. And don’t call me crazy. I’ve gotten really good at recognizing people over the years.”

“No no, I believe you,” Katara said. She’d learned over the years to never underestimate Toph Beifong. “I just don’t know what you could be…”

Katara understood what Toph was talking about only an instant before Toph did. 

“Holy  _ shit!”  _ She screeched in delite, “Katara, you  _ fucked  _ Pretty Boy Zuko?” She cackled gleefully, and Osha, who had no idea what was going on, joined in. “It—It was after the wedding wasn’t it? Oh my Spirits, I knew it.  _ I knew it _ !” She laughed again, and clapped her hands together. “This is the best day of my  _ life! _ ”

“Toph!” Katara hollered, growing red in the cheeks and covering the baby’s ears. “Shut  _ up _ !”

“How did Aang find out? And does Zuko know? If he does, why are you here and not up at his stuffy palace with him? Oh, and what about Sokka? I bet he was  _ so mad! _ ” She asked, breathlessly. 

Katara sighed. “Zuko found out on accident, and he told Aang through an apology, and yes, Sokka was angry, but he got over it. Zuko asked me to,” She paused, and looked down at Osha who was tugging on one of her hair loops. “He asked me to marry him afterwards, but I said no because when we did...what we...did, we were drunk, and I’m not going to marry someone who is only asking me because they think that it is the honorable thing to do!” She explained. It was the first time she’d said this outloud, and she felt a bit relieved. The relief was tinged with hurt though, from the little part of her that hoped it wasn’t true.

Toph stopped dancing around, and made a disbelieving face in her direction. “Are you  _ serious? _ ”

Katara looked away, out the window, but her silence seemed to make Toph angrier. 

“You dumbass! You can’t possibly believe that! First of all, I’ve seen the way Hotstuff, and I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and it is definitely devoid of honor. Second of all, have you ever really  _ asked _ him what he feels about you? Did you ever ask, maybe, what  _ he _ wanted with you?” 

“I-I…” Katara trailed off, stunned.  _ Damn, she can really give a speech when she wants to. _

“But Toph! How would I know? What if I ask, and the answer is just disappointing and exactly what I thought it was all along—”

Toph stamped her foot. “ _ But _ , how will you know if the answer is just a wonderful and romantic and lovey-dovey as you hoped,  _ if you never  asked? _ You’re assuming things, Katara. Remember, assume always makes an ass out of you and me. And anyways, you know he must like you a little, seeing as he was willing to incur the wrath of the  _ Avatar _ just so he could get you in bed!”

“Enough!” Katara shouted. Startled, Osha began to cry. “Oh no, oh no, Shh shh. I’m sorry, baby. Don’t cry, it’s okay. We’re alright,” she cooed, glaring at Toph. 

Toph’s shoulders slumped. “Sorry, kid.”  

Katara sighed and continued to gently bounce Osha and shush her. Finally, Osha calmed down, and began to drift off to sleep. It was just about nap time, anyways. Placing her down gently in her crib. Katara began to tip toe backwards slowly.  She took Toph’s hand. “C’mon. Let’s go before we wake her up again.” 

Once outside, Katara plopped down on the front stoop, and her friend followed suite. Swallowing, Katara interlaced her fingers. “Toph...what you said back there. Do you really think Zuko was  _ just _ trying to get me into bed?” 

Toph blinked. “What? No!” She shook her head. “That’s not what I meant. I meant that he must like you a lot. I mean, you know how possessive Aang could get with you. Remember the play on Ember Island? He was getting mad at you about stuff you didn’t even  _ say.  _ And Zuko wanted  _ you _ ? If he was just looking for a one night stand, I think he would have chosen someone who’s situation was a little less… problematic.”

Her logic was sound, Katara couldn’t argue with that. “He did tell me he would have never taken advantage of me, and that he hadn’t thought I was drunk when we, well, you know.” Katara admitted.

“Mmhmm. You see, Sugar Queen? How many times has he tried to talk to you since you went ‘poof’ on everyone?”

“Oh ah…” Katara blushed awkwardly, scratching her arm. “Every day, actually.”

Toph jerked up in surprise. Her eyes looked like they were going to pop out of her head. “Are. You.  _ Shitting me?” _

“Uh,” Katara blinked nervously. “No. He’s sent me a letter every day, I think. I didn’t actually read any until recently… ” She stopped when she saw Toph’s face turn as red as Zuko’s robe. “Oh, you look mad. Please don’t be mad.” Katara winced. 

“How can you  _ say that _ ? Why shouldn’t I be mad? He’s been writing you  _ every day _ and you haven’t written him back even once? And here you were, worried that  _ he _ wouldn’t like you. You know what he probably thinks? That you hate him! Or worse, how would he know that you aren’t dead?” 

“W-well, I think  _ dead _ is a stretch…” Katara muttered, having the decency to at least look a bit sheepish. 

“You know what? The only thing that’s gonna be stretched is my patience if you don’t  _ write back _ ,” Toph yelled She then sighed, entirely exasperated. “I just—You haven’t written back  _ once _ ?” 

Katara bit her lip and looked up at the sky. “I mean, I’ve tried, but none of the letters ever turned out  _ right _ , you know? I really feel like when I send him something in return, it should be perfect.” 

Toph grunted but said nothing else. “And  _ I _ really feel like you should stop being a  _ pussy _ !” 

Katara couldn’t help it as a laugh bubbled out of her. “Oh, I really did miss you, Toph.” 

She rolled her eyes, but Katara could see the barest hint of a smile. “Save it, Sugar Queen.”

“When are you going to stop calling me that terrible nickname. I’m not a kid anymore—I literally have a child of my own. I’m sure you could come up with something more appropriate!”

“If you’re so mature, why are you still acting like a Sugar  Queen then, hm, Miss Prissy Pants?” 

Katara rolled her eyes, but smiled.  After a moment, however, her smile faded. Toph had given her much to think about. It seemed that her and Zuko’s relationship was even more complicated than she wanted to admit. Not really something that could be expressed in one letter. 

“Toph, I…” Katara got to her feet, and dusted off her tunic. “I think that I need to see Zuko in person.” The realization came out more like an incredulous question than a statement, but Toph grinned, and got to her feet as well. 

“Now you’re gettin’ it!” She clapped a hand on Katara’s back. “Are you going to bring the little firecracker with you?”

Glancing back towards the house, Katara realized her mind was already made up. “Yeah. I think it’s high time that Zuko met his daughter.”

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was written for Zutara Week 2018, Day 2, Letters. We'd love to hear what think, so please leave a kudos and a comment


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